


Water Meets Earth

by MageOfTheLufaines



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Eventual Romance, M/M, Rating May Change, Rivalry, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:10:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3107333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageOfTheLufaines/pseuds/MageOfTheLufaines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steven of the Steel clan threatens the Earth and Water clans, a decision is made to marry off their firstborns, Archie and Maxie, joining the clans together. Despite being married, Archie and Maxie cannot get along, but have to find a way to learn how to put aside years of rivalry to save their friends and family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, despite still needing to do so much more with We Are The Kings and Queens, this idea in my head got so interesting that I decided to write a fic for it.
> 
> And basically Archie and Maxie have taken over my life. I hope to get out chapters as quickly as I can, despite college starting again very soon. 
> 
> Steven is the enemy simply because I needed someone to fill that spot and because he tries to stop them in the game. It works for this, so just go along with it.

Archie watched the glistening water ripple as his Sharpedo swam round in circles, sending small waves to the bank that he sat on. It was a usual day for the firstborn of the Water clan, spending his free time watching the water Pokemon dive into the depths before emerging again, this time with a small stone in her mouth as a present. He took the offered present with a small smile, petting her muzzle. When he’d turned ten years old, he’d been allowed a Pokemon to represent him for the clan as long as it was a water type. So, he’d taken his father’s fishing rod and managed to catch a Carvanha. Since then he’d kept the Pokemon for fifteen years, training it until it evolved into the Sharpedo he knew and loved. He couldn’t imagine a life without her ever since. 

The Water Clan’s firstborn was turning twenty five that year, and was around 5’7” with thick black hair with a matching beard. Across the bridge of his nose, and part of his eyes, was a cross shaped birthmark. No one understood where it had come from, but they soon got used to it being there. He wore the iconic, dark blue kimono that was known for this clan, with a lighter blue bandana around his head. His kimono was open up at the top to show more of the dark skin covering his body, as well as some of the dark hair covering his chest. Many of the clan members commented on his naturally good looks, but he just shrugged them off. It wasn’t like he didn’t find himself good looking, he just wasn’t one to care for compliments. To him, saying that he was reasonably good looking was a waste of time. He knew from the moment he’d learnt of the ways of human reproduction that he’d have to pick one of the females from the second richest family in the clan, in that he had no choice. There was no point allowing these compliments to sway him, especially if they were from the female clan members, as it wasn’t his choice of who he married. 

A sigh left his lips as he stood up, hearing a small whine from his Sharpedo in response. He chuckled and threw her the last piece of meat he’d managed to carry with him, telling her he’d be back, before heading off back into their large house. The small pond, just large enough for Sharpedo to swim around in comfortably, was situated right in the middle of the house in a garden like area. The water flowed from the mountain springs, down small streams behind the house, and into the pond itself. It was the purest form of water, and so they’d devised a way to use it for bathwater as well as drinking water. The house pretty much ran on water, hence why they were called the Water Clan.

As he slipped off his shoes, pulling back the sliding doors that divided each room, he heard his father in what seemed to be a rather heated discussion. He put his shoes aside before walking towards the voice, curiosity getting the better of him. He was glad for the thin walls, able to hear what his father was talking about. 

“What do you mean Steven is ready to attack the clans?!” his father shouted, making Archie frown. The Steel Clan, led by Steven Stone, was notorious for trying to gain too much land and had gathered quite a large army. If Steven wanted to, he could take over the Water Clan easily. 

“He says that both the Water and Earth clans are weak. He wants our people for his own selfish needs,” another voice replied, and Archie took it to be his father’s right hand man. But what surprised him was the Earth Clan being part of this new battle. 

Ever since being born, Archie knew the Water and Earth clans had been bitter rivals. They had conflicting ideologies, which led to years of battles between the two. There was no real reason as to why these conflicting ideas meant they had to fight one another, they just didn’t know how to get along. Archie was taught that the red kimonos of the Earth Clan were not to be trusted whatsoever, and to this day he could not trust the Earth Clan. He didn’t realise that the Earth Clan would ever come under threat, much like their own clan. 

“Did the Earth clan have an idea on how to stop him?” his father queried.

“Not one that they wanted to explain to me.”  
“Secretive as always… even when we’re both in danger,” came his father’s muttered response. “Listen, we need to stop this petty squabbling if we’re both in danger! If you can, speak to an Earth clan member and come to an agreement we both like.” 

His father’s right hand man agreed and Archie fled before he could be seen, hearing the partition slide open. He couldn’t help but worry about what was to happen with the clan, especially if Steven planned on targeting two clans at once. Instinctively, his hand clasped around the necklace he’d been wearing since he was five years old. He didn’t really know what it was, it was the shape of a half moon but was blue in colour with a jagged edge. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was meant to connect to another half of a necklace, yet there was nothing to prove this. All he knew about the necklace was that a strange woman by the name of Zinnia had given it to his father on the day of his birth. 

His thoughts were broken by a muscular arm being chucked around his shoulder. He almost lost balance, placing a hand on the wooden floorboards to stop himself toppling over. 

“There you are bro!” came the voice of the person beside him, his brother Matt. He was a big man, much taller than Archie, having close cut hair with blue streaks in the form of spikes. His hair was also formed into a beard, but it wasn’t as big as Archie’s. Matt was the second oldest, with his sister Shelly being the youngest. They were a close knit family, and were almost always together. 

Archie chuckled before moving Matt’s arm off his shoulders as it was starting to weigh him down heavily. “Sorry, I was just coming back from watching Sharpedo,” he responded. 

“Did’ya hear about the Steel clan’s plan?” Matt asked, to which Archie nodded. 

“I don’t get it bro… why do they want to attack us and the Earth clan? We’ve done nothing wrong!” Archie muttered, the worried feeling returning. He was usually never worried, but something about this attack just made his stomach churn. 

“Is the Water clan’s firstborn getting worried?” a female voice cut in. Archie looked up to see his sister Shelly, a woman with the same dark skin as him and Matt. She had dark brown hair, falling down to her waist, with two large blue streaks in the front. Archie sighed, knowing that Shelly could read him like a book. It was a trait she’d gained from them being so close to one another. 

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,” was Archie’s response as he stood up along with Matt. “Come on, we need to help around the fields and harvest the crops.” 

Matt and Shelly nodded in unison and followed their older brother out of the house to help their clan members harvest crops for their meals.

~~~

Maxie awoke in the morning to a grey snout being pushed into his face before a long tongue licked up his cheek, covering him in thick saliva. He spluttered and his eyes shot open, seeing his Camerupt standing beside him. He pressed his hands against his snout and pushed him back, rubbing at his face with his duvet to clean it of saliva. The Earth clan’s firstborn was known for sleeping in, yet his sister, Courtney, always forced him to wake up early using his Camerupt against him. 

A hand rubbed through shoulder length, crimson hair as Maxie yawned, before forcing himself to stand up. His body protested, a sign of his ageing. Maxie was almost thirty years old yet had not even bothered to find a wife, more interested in reading all the books they had to go with the Pokemon that used to inhabit the Hoenn region. More often than not, he would ignore his mother’s wishes of him meeting up with the richer females of the clan. Love didn’t interested him one bit, not while there were stories to read about Pokemon that had the power to change the weather. 

A huff caught his attention and he saw his Camerupt sitting patiently, his small tail wagging as he awaited his daily pet. It was a ritual they’d decided on, that whenever Maxie woke up he’d pet the Camerupt for a few minutes. Whenever Maxie forgot, like he had done that morning, the Camerupt would just sit around and watch him until he realised. With a small tug of his lips, Maxie reached up and stroked the coarse, red fur of his beloved Pokemon. They’d been together for fifteen years, ever since a teenage Maxie had found him as Numel, and were now inseparable. 

“I have no Pokeblocks for you now, but I’ll harvest some berries today and make some,” he decided, watching the Pokemon’s eyes brighten in delight. Many people seemed afraid of the Pokemon, but once they got to know him they realised that he was much like every other Pokemon in the region. 

After a few minutes, Maxie changed into the red kimono of his clan before putting on his glasses and his necklace. It was much like Archie’s, not that he knew that at the time, but was red in colour instead. No one had told him how he’d gotten it, which confused him slightly, but he soon just dealt with it. Now he felt odd without it around his neck, so wore it everyday. 

There soon came a quiet knock to his door and Maxie looked to it just as it opened. There stood his brother, Tabitha, in a large kimono like his own. He was on the plump side, with light purple hair. It was a colour him and Courtney had gotten from their father, while Maxie had gotten the more iconic red hair from his mother. Tabitha bowed respectively, even though they were related, treating his older brother more like a boss than a relative. Maxie didn’t really understand why he had to behave this way but he’d gotten used to it. 

“Good morning Tabitha, may I help you?” he asked, straightening up to make himself seem more like the older brother he was meant to be. 

“Mother sent me. She wishes to speak to you…” came his brother’s response, while Maxie’s brows furrowed and the familiar grimace appeared on his face. 

“If she wants to get me to speak to the richer females she can kindly forget it,” he spat, his distaste of being forced into a marriage showing clearly on his face. 

“I don’t think it’s that Maxie,” Tabitha commented, making the red haired male huff in annoyance.

“Fine, if she wants to see me I will go. But don’t expect me to stay…”

Maxie left his room, leaving his Camerupt alone, walking through the corridors to where their mother’s study was. Compared to Archie’s house, the Earth clan had a much more modern building. It was close to Mt. Chimney and they’d devised a way to harness the heat from the lava within to generate power. There were also solar panels built into some of the buildings to use the sun’s powers, so it looked more like a building from Unova’s Castelia City than it did a building from Hoenn. 

Soon he’d reached the door to his mother’s study and gave it a few sharp knocks with his knuckle before opening the door, not even bothering to wait for his mother’s response. His mother looked much like him, with the same crimson hair, though hers was becoming more grey as her age caught up to her. She gestured to the seat in front of her desk, putting away whatever she was knitting.

“Mother, I’ve told you for the millionth time that love just doesn’t interest me now,” Maxie told her before she even had a chance to speak.

“I didn’t beckon you to talk about love. Maxie, our clan is in threat,” his mother replied, not seeming to mind his argumentative nature. She’d gotten used to it over the years.

“Threat?” Maxie didn’t believe it. The Earth clan hadn’t done anything that would warrant another clan to attack. 

“Yes Maxie, and it’s not the Water clan…” his mother told him, her eyebrows creasing together in a frown all too much like his own. In his age, Maxie began to notice the similarities between his mother and himself all too well. 

“Then who? We have done nothing to allow such actions!”

“The Steel clan. Steven hasn’t just threatened us though either. He’s also threatened to take over our rivals.”

This revelation infuriated Maxie for a reason he did not know and he clenched his fists together in tight balls. How dare they threaten the Earth clan’s rivals? 

“Is there any way to stop him?” he asked, wanting to show Steven that the Earth clan was not one to be messed around with. 

“I do have one way but I doubt either this clan or the Water clan will approve of it… And I definitely know you won’t approve.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two sons finally find out about the plan to marry them together. Neither is happy about it.

“You want us to what?!” Maxie cried out, standing up with a slam of his hands against the wood of his mother’s desk. His skin was a deep red from the anger and humiliation he felt at what his mother had just suggested, brows furrowed into a deep frown. 

“Maxie, I need you to marry their firstborn so we can join the clans together. That’s the only way we can stop Steven from taking both clans over!” his mother responded, knowing that this would be his exact reaction. He wasn’t interested in marrying anyone, let alone the firstborn of a clan they were meant to hate. 

“And humiliate myself that way?! I’ll become the laughing stock of the entire clan!” Maxie argued, not intent on letting his mother have her way. He would fight for what he wanted, and that meant not marrying anyone let alone a disgusting Water clan member. 

“You’re being childish. The clan will be grateful for you helping them survive,” came his mother’s reply, her voice oddly calm despite Maxie’s behaviour. She’d gotten so used to the outbursts from her eldest son ever since he turned the right age to marry. He was not one to back down from what he wanted, and could argue for hours just to prove he was right. Many people would have let him get away with this but his mother had learnt how to get to him. 

Maxie glared at her from behind his glasses, anger boiling the blood in his veins. He was not going to sell himself off to the Water clan. They were brutes, with not a drop of sympathy for anyone but themselves. It’s why they’d been rivals for so long, because the Water clan had cried out that the ideologies of the Earth clan would unbalance the natural state of the world, not even taking into consideration the thoughts and feelings of the Earth clan themselves. 

There was a few minutes of silence, something Maxie’s mother was used to, before Maxie went into another outburst to try and sway his mother. 

“Why does it have to be me that marries to their clan? Why not Courtney or Tabitha?” he asked, not understanding why they had to keep to the old ways anymore. 

“First off, you know full well that this is tradition when two clans decide on joining. The Dragon and Fairy clans did the exact same thing, and their firstborns were both female so it’s not unheard of for same sex marriages,” his mother began, standing up slowly. “Secondly, it has to be the firstborn. It makes the deal unbreakable.” 

“So you just want to sell me off to a Water clan brute? Are you that eager to get rid of me?!” Maxie spat, disgust lacing every word. “And to a male as well?” 

“Stop acting like a spoilt brat!” his mother snapped, finally losing her cool. Her eyes blazed with anger as she stared at him, making Maxie freeze on the spot. He could hear his heart slamming against his chest, and he realised that he’d finally walked over the line. 

When she made sure Maxie was listening, she carried on. “Maxie, we must do this. If we don’t, both our families will suffer losses I don’t want to begin to think about. I don’t want to sell you off, especially not to the Water clan, but if it’s a way to save my family than so be it. I know we are meant to hate one another, but it’s time for us to stop this squabbling and join against a bigger threat. And there’s nothing wrong with marrying a male, it is accepted in this society.” 

Maxie went to open his mouth to protest but the gaze his mother shot at him made him close his mouth, his lips pressing together in a firm grimace. He mulled his mother’s words over in his head as there came a knock on the door. His mother said nothing as she walked over, opening it to see a messenger. 

“My lady, there’s a Water clan member at the gates. Shall we let him in?” he asked, apprehension in his voice. 

His mother just smiled and nodded her head. 

“I shall meet him in the hall very soon. Make sure he has refreshments and don’t let anyone hurt him, understand?” 

With a curt nod the messenger went off to go do as their leader’s wife ordered while she turned back to her son. In that moment, she looked much more youthful in appearance and Maxie was taken aback by the similarities the two shared. 

“Do I have to come with you?” he asked, his usually confident voice now small and weak. It disgusted him that his mother could so easily sway him. 

“That would be most advisable,” was his mother’s response as she left the room, Maxie close behind with a feeling of dread lingering in his heart. 

~~~

Maxie’s mother had decided to hold their meeting in one of the small rooms which were used for other such business talks such as crops and weather troubles, not that there was much of the latter in the sunny region of Hoenn. Maxie sat upright, back and shoulders tensed, as he listened to his mother and the Water clam member talk to one another quietly. He could make out what they were saying but he didn’t want to acknowledge it at all. He wanted to think of this all as a bad dream, and soon he’d wake up with his Camerupt’s snout in his face like usual. 

It was all a bad dream.

“Maxie?” came his mother’s voice, forcing him to look up and meet her gaze. It wasn’t as intense as before, however there was still the common stubborn glint in her eyes that he unfortunately shared with her. 

“Wh-What did you say?” he asked, swallowing past the lump in his throat. ‘The Great Maxie’ wasn’t so great in this moment. In fact, he just wanted to hide away forever, and not deal with arranged marriages at all. 

“We were discussing when best for you to meet…” here she turned to the Water clan’s member. “What was his name again?”

“He’s called Archie,” was the response and his mother nodded before starting over. 

“We were discussing when best for you to meet Archie. We decided on this weekend,” his mother told him, and all Maxie could do was stare. He’d had no choice in this at all, they hadn’t even asked if he was okay with it and now he was to be meeting the man he’d have to marry? 

“I don’t have a say in the matter do I?” Maxie replied, finally finding the voice to speak. Where had it been when he needed it most? 

The Water clan member gave his mother a confused look to which she sighed and shook her head in apology. “Listen Maxie, you just need to get to know him. I’ve been told he’s a good person, despite being a bit arrogant and loud…” she trailed off, looking embarrassed.

“Oh so I have to have a noisy man as my husband to be?” he muttered, gritting his teeth in anger. 

“He’s not noisy all the time, he just gets over excited is all,” the Water clan member interjected, not liking the fact they were willingly bad mouthing someone they didn’t know. 

Maxie frowned up at the Water clan member, his fingers twitching with the anger he felt. Maxie had a very short temper, and would often lash out at the person nearest. So far it was looking to be the damned Water clan member.

“Maxie would love to meet him. Would it be easier for us to dine here?” his mother asked, knowing that it would as least make Maxie less irritable if he was somewhere he knew. He tried not to show it, but she knew he could get home sick. 

The Water clan member nodded before noticing the time, eyes widening as he stood up. “I’m sorry to have to cut our meeting short but I have to leave. I thank you for telling me your idea and we will arrive on Sunday morning,” he said, bowing down to them both before rushing off. Maxie watched him leave and after a few minutes he stood up himself. He gave his mother a harsh look, red eyes glinting with the anger he felt, before walking away to lock himself up in his room. 

~~~

Steam rose up from the hot spring as Archie leant his head back, enjoying the relief the water brought to his skin. He could feel the grime of all the work he’d done that day washing off his skin, being drained into the drainage system they’d managed to install. Despite being traditional in their ways, the Water clan still needed technology to live comfortably, what with Hoenn’s rapid rate of changing. 

He slowly sunk back into the water, submerging most of his body until his nose was resting atop it. He would relax in the hot springs as often as he could, allowing the heat and water to work at his tense muscles until he was content and happy. The silence comforted him as well, as it allowed him a chance to be lost in his own thoughts. Blue eyes slowly closed as he thought of sailing the seas between regions, encountering all sorts of Pokemon in the wide ocean. If he wasn’t the firstborn of a clan, he’d more than likely become a sailor. Being around water was what he enjoyed doing most, especially if his Sharpedo was by his side. 

His thoughts were, unfortunately, interrupted by the partition sliding over to reveal his father. Archie gave him a quizzical look as he sat up slowly, the water falling off his body into the pool below with quiet dripping noises. 

“Archie, get yourself dried and dressed before meeting us in the communal room,” his father ordered before closing the door and leaving him sitting there in confusion. 

With a heavy sigh, the Water clan’s firstborn pushed himself out of the water and got out of the large hot spring, grabbing a towel from the rack on the side to dry himself with. When he’d made sure his body was dried, he slipped back into his clothes and ran the towel through his hair. It was still damp and slightly curly when he made his way out of the bathroom, his feet padding against the wooden floorboards as he went to the communal room. 

The communal room for the Water clan was much like a living room, though it was mainly used to hold important events within the family. In the middle was a small kotatsu, usually only used during the chilly winter months, while against the wall opposite the partition leading to the room itself was a long table. It was here where his father, mother, sister, and brother all sat. They were peacefully chatting before falling silent as Archie entered, making him raise an eyebrow. 

“What? Is my presence that amazing that it leaves you speechless?” he joked as he walked over, sitting down next to Shelly who gave him a weak smile. 

That couldn’t be good. Shelly would rarely ever give him a smile like that, it just wasn’t in her nature. It was then that the gravity of the situation dawned on him and the grin he had disappeared. An awkward silence fell upon the family as they tried to best explain the situation. 

It was his father that finally managed to speak up. 

“Archie you probably know by now that our clan is in danger… Steven has threatened to take over and we aren’t strong enough to fend him and his people off for long. We’re not the only clan he’s threatened though. He’s also attacking the Earth clan.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Archie could only stare at his father blankly. He couldn’t even come up with a witty remark, knowing that this situation was serious. Even though he already knew what was going on between the clans, he knew that they finally had decided on the best way to stop it. His mother’s voice joined in next, and he turned to look at her. 

“Your father’s advisor went to the Earth clan to see if they had an idea… luckily for us they did,” she started, fiddling with her kimono as if she was trying to stall what to say. 

“What’s going on? Why are you all so nervous?” Archie asked, eyes darting to each member of his family frantically. He really didn’t like this sudden nervous attitude they’d all acquired, and it made his stomach twist with his own nerves. Archie was usually pretty calm and collected but right now, he felt like screaming at his family for answers. 

“The best way for us to fight off Steven is to join the two clans. That means you have to marry their son,” his father finally explained, while Archie just gaped at him. Marry the son of the Earth clan? What did they take him for? 

“Why the hell should I do that?!” he snapped, losing his cool at that preposterous idea. The Earth clan was their rival, they were not allowed to be in love with one another. The thought of having to share a bed with the Earth clan’s firstborn made him sick to the stomach and he had to grit his teeth together. 

“I know it’s tough to fathom, but you have to understand that this is the only way we can protect ourselves against the Steel clan. We know it must be tough, but you know our ancient traditions mean that it’s the strongest bond we can make,” came his mother’s voice again and he felt the anger coursing through his veins. Only once had he felt so angry in his entire life, and that was when the Earth clan and attacked their clan without warning on a trip to Mt Pyre. In his rage, he’d not cared about the Earth clan’s Pokemon at all, and forced them to face his wrath. And once again he was angered like this because of the Earth clan.

“Archie please…” It was Shelly this time, and she looked to him as if her heart was about to break. It dawned on him at that moment that if he didn’t accept, if he continued to be selfish in such a way, his family would get hurt. As firstborn of the Water clan he swore that his family, his beloved family, would never come to harm. He pushed back the waves of nausea at what he said next. 

“When do I meet him?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxie finally meets Archie. It doesn't go as well as planned.

Despite each son wishing that the day would never come, Sunday soon arrived. Maxie was well awake before his Camerupt could lick at his face to wake him up, and it wasn’t because he was excited to meet Archie. In fact, it was quite the opposite. His nerves had been so frayed that he had hardly gotten any sleep that night. The Earth clan’s son was not in the mood to deal with an obnoxious Water clan member, even if he was to be his future husband. 

Husband. That word sent a shudder down his spine. He hadn’t even wanted a wife yet now he was forced to marry a man. It was preposterous. Not that Maxie had been so clear on his own sexuality in the first place, just something about marrying a man made him feel on edge. A soft sigh left his lips before he forced himself to stand up. His legs felt weak and he fought back a wave of dizziness, knowing he just needed to get through this initial meeting and then things would get better. Or so he hoped.

Due to the fact it was a meeting with another clan, Maxie had to wear special clothing. This was a deep red suit, with black trims around the collar, lapel, and ends of the sleeves. Despite wearing kimonos a lot of the time, it was common for suits to be worn for the men. The women still kept wearing kimonos, but they were much more fashionable in design, made to make the women look more attractive. Usually putting on the suit made him feel professional and in charge, however for today he just felt dead inside. He wanted to sleep and forget this stupid marriage was going to happen, no matter how much he protested against it. 

Maxie’s gaze soon went to the full length mirror in his room as he smoothed out his suit, before reaching over for a bottle of hair gel. He put a bit onto his hand and snaked it through, pushing the red locks back so they weren’t framing his face. He preferred wearing his hair that way when there was company round, as it made him look much more important. 

After making sure there was no hair out of place, he want over to his Camerupt sleeping in the corner and woke him up with some gentle scratches. The Pokemon grunted before opening his wide mouth, showing his dull teeth in the process. Contrary to popular belief, those teeth hurt. Maxie remembered being bit the first time the Pokemon had evolved, simply because he was excited to be a newer evolution. He’d needed to rest his arm for three days straight because of the bite marks. 

“Today’s the day…” he muttered to his Pokemon before feeling the dry muzzle rub against him in an effort to make his owner feel happier. He let a small smile tug at his lips at that before standing up, giving himself one more look in the mirror. One last thought crossed his mind and he grabbed the pair of black framed glasses he usually wore. Deciding he was at least presentable, he walked off with Camerupt behind him to the kitchen where food was being made. 

As he entered the room, he heard his mother cry out in delight before rushing over, enveloping him in a hug with he was way too uncomfortable with. 

“I can’t believe you’re going to meet your future husband today!” she commented, extremely happy compared to what she’d been like the day she’d told him of this marriage. He was reminded of the fact that she had finally gotten what she wanted: Maxie to get married. That made him shudder and he pushed her away gently.

“I don’t ever remember agreeing to this…” he muttered, frowning at her before sitting down where Courtney and Tabitha were already eating their breakfast. They both looked at him when he sat down, Tabitha with a small, caring smile on his face. His kept up a blank expression on his own face, not wanting to show how nervous he actually felt. 

“Now, now Maxie. You act like you’ll hate Archie without even meeting him!” his mother responded as a plate of breakfast was carried over to him. Maxie looked at the plate of food and felt his stomach twist, wanting nothing more than to escape into the tales of the legendary Groudon that protected their clan. However, he forced himself to eat so that his mother wouldn’t badger him about how important breakfast was. 

“When will they be round?” Courtney asked, ignoring the glare that Maxie gave her. 

“Around midday they told me, we’ll be hosting lunch for them,” his mother responded, to which Maxie tried his best not to bolt from the room and lock himself in the library. He was usually quite calm around meeting new people but this wasn’t like the ordinary lunches they’d hosted. This was the beginning to a life changing event, that would make his life worse. 

All he could do though was wait for the inevitable.

~~~

“HEY FISH BRAIN, GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED!”

Archie bolted upright, almost head butting his sister in the process. He frowned at her, his hair a complete mess. He’d been having a pleasant dream before she’d come storming in, screaming at him at the top of her lungs like that. 

“What the fuck d’you want?” he asked, his voice a slight drawl from sleepiness. 

“Don’t you remember the day you idiot?!” she cried out, before bringing her hand to her face. “I swear to Arceus, you cannot live a day without me having to remind you things…”

“It’s just a normal… oh fuck!” he responded, jumping out of bed and promptly forgetting he’d slept naked that night. The shriek from his sister reminded him that he was not covered down there and he grabbed his cover, wrapping it around him. “Stop staring!”

“Why in Arceus’ sake do you not wear pyjamas to bed?” she asked, but was pushed out of Archie’s room instead of being given an answer. As he shut the door, he could hear her muffled voice. “You have an hour to get ready before we have to leave!” 

He continued listening to the sound of her footsteps getting farther away before he leapt into action and began to get changed. Luckily he’d hung his own suit up the evening before, a dark blue two piece with white trims around the collar, lapel, and sleeves. Like normal, he kept the first three buttons of his shirt unbuttoned to show off a part of his chest and did the buttons of the jacket up. Instead of wearing a tie, he wore a large golden chain with an anchor at the end along with the half orb necklace. Grabbing a comb from the dresser, he tried his hardest to tame his hair and thick beard. He managed to get them slightly orderly looking before rushing off to get his Sharpedo so she could travel with them. 

Archie had decided that, in case of emergency, Sharpedo had to travel with him. He hated putting her in her Pokeball, as he wasn’t too sure what they were like, but he knew that this would be for the best. Especially with the danger of the Steel clan. When he reached the pond where she spent her days, he heard her cry out for him. A smile appeared on his lips and he greeted the Pokemon before crouching down to pet her nose. Through all the years they’d been together, her rough skin didn’t affect him anymore so he could pet and cuddle the Pokemon without getting scratched. Archie couldn’t help but chuckle as Sharpedo’s tail started to wag back and forth, making ripples in the water.

“I’m sorry girl, but you’re going to have to be put in your ball,” he told her gently, rubbing the crossed shaped mark much like his own birthmark but yellow. His father joked that he must have been blessed by the Sharpedo to share such a similar mark. 

The Pokemon whined, staring up at him with a pleading look which he hated having to see. He felt bad having to make her stay in a tight, probably cramped space, for so long but it had to be done. Forcing himself up, Archie grabbed her Pokeball and opened it up, watching as a bright light enveloped the Pokemon before she disappeared into the ball. He was glad for the large pocket in his jacket, as that allowed him to fit the ball in there without it showing too much. With a sigh he made his way to the dining area, though he planned to skip out on breakfast. 

Once there, he was greeted by a hearty pat to his back from Matt. Spluttering from the unexpected force of it, he straightened up before nodding to his brother. 

“So today’s the day we meet your husband to be…” Matt began, and Archie’s smile fell from his lips. Their son’s name was Maxie, and he really wasn’t sure what to expect as no one had told him what he was like. 

“I’m surprised he managed to get ready in time,” Shelly muttered from the table.

“Who do you take me for Shelly?” he asked, walking on over and sitting down. He ignored the breakfast laid out for them, and instead poured himself a glass of water. 

“You not eating?” Matt asked as he bit into a piece of toast, raising an eyebrow at his brother. 

“Nah, we’re going there for lunch. Might as well stay hungry as I’m guaranteed food,” Archie replied as he sipped from the water, glad the liquid was wetting his dry throat. He wouldn’t dare show that he was actually nervous about this meeting. 

Matt looked like he was about respond but stayed silent, turning his head to look at their parents that had just walked in. Archie looked over, giving a quiet wolf whistle. Both his mother and father looked equally attractive. His mother had her long, black hair tied up in a bun, with strands curled to frame either side of her face. She’d applied scarlet coloured lipstick, with a dusting of blusher on her cheeks as well. Her outfit was an elaborate blue kimono, designed in a way that made it look like water despite it being fabric. His father wore a suit designed in the same way as his mother’s and had combed back his hair as well as trimming his beard. There was a matching tie around his neck as well. 

“I see you’re finally awake,” his father greeted, walking over to Archie. The firstborn smiled, flashing ever so slightly pointed teeth. Another trait which his dad joked about in connection to being blessed by Sharpedo. 

“Thanks to my wonderful sister!” Archie replied, looking at Shelly before grinning even more. Shelly just rolled her eyes. 

“We’ll be heading off soon. There’s a ship heading to Slateport City that we need before we take a carriage to just outside Verdanturf Town,” his mother explained to which Archie nodded in thanks. This information made Matt finish eating faster, while Shelly rushed off to get jewellery and a bit of makeup sorted out. Archie watched as his father sat down, smoothing out his suit. 

“So boy, how do you feel about meeting your future spouse?” he asked as he poured himself some water. 

“I really don’t know. A part of me worries that it won’t work out,” he confessed, finding it easy to talk about his feelings to his father. He knew the Water clan leader wouldn’t berate him for showing weakness. That’s what Archie liked about his parents, they were almost as carefree and relaxed as their children. It meant they grew up feeling loved and wanted, which was how parenting should be done in Archie’s mind. 

“I’m sure it will work out fine. But remember, we’re meant to be joining with the Earth clan… I know there’s been a long rivalry but you need to put that aside from now onwards…”

Archie could only nod, unsure if he’d be able to listen to what his father had just told him. It all depended on how much he liked Maxie in the end of it all. 

~~~

The ship the Water clan was travelling on soon arrived in the docks of Slateport City, a large seaside resort that was home to the oceanic museum and a bustling market place. They docked into the harbour, and Archie watched in awe as sailors began running to and fro to get their ship in safely. Slateport was a much nicer city to be part of than Mossdeep, and he wished he could have been able to be part of this community. 

Once the ship was stopped, the family left the harbour and were greeted by a large carriage pulled by four Rapidash. The Pokemon snorted, chomping gently at the bits in their mouths while their flames danced around almost magically. The carriage itself was a deep mahogany, with red and black velvet covering the seating inside. Red curtains were drawn back from the windows, and an Earth clan member stood beside the steps to get in. 

“Greetings, this carriage was ordered to arrive here by Maxie himself,” the Earth clan member said, opening the door and gesturing for them to enter. Archie looked to his family before entering first, wondering about what sort of person Maxie was if this was how they were greeted on arrival to Slateport.

The ride to just outside Lavaridge Town where the Earth clan house was wasn’t too bad. They passed lush fields of grass full of Gogoat and Skiddo grazing, small cottages nestled in between the landscape like they were meant to belong, and even a large lake. However none of this was as impressive as Mt Chimney looming in the distance, long since dormant. It’s peak was shrouded with clouds, and there was an old cable car that carried you to the top. Due to the fact the last eruption was recorded thousands of years ago, the people of Hoenn were content with building close to the base of the mountain.

Before they reached the outskirts of Lavaridge, they took a turning down a path with trees looming over them, creating a canopy of leaves to shade against the summer sun. Hoenn was a region known for its intense summer heat, not that that affected Archie in anyway. He loved the sun beating down on him as he worked, or cooling down in the sea surrounding Mossdeep. The path seemed to go on forever but soon they were greeted to the large house that was the Earth clan’s main residency. Around this were small houses that were home to other Earth clan members. It all seemed completely different to where Archie had come from. 

The driveway they came up on wrapped around a large statue of the Earth clan’s god Groudon, a Pokemon that was said to have twice the power of any fully evolved Pokemon that existed. It was made of what seemed to be granite, though Archie wasn’t good at identifying types of stone. Though he was more interested in the five people that stood in front of the doors to the mansion, all dressed in the deep red that was iconic of the Earth clan. Archie felt a shudder run down his spine when the carriage stopped in front of them, not trusting the red at all. It would take time before he began to view that colour as friendly. 

The carriage door opened and Archie waited for the rest of his family to leave before leaving himself, looking straight at the family before him. There were two adults, obviously the parents, and three children standing between them. The father had purple hair, short and combed neatly to the side, wearing a crimson coloured suit. The mother had strikingly bright red hair, cut into a neat bob that framed her long face. Her kimono was also crimson, though this was trimmed with gold and was made of silk. There was an air of mystery about these two which Archie didn’t like. He then concentrated on two of the children, obviously the younger siblings. Both had their father’s light purple hair, with the female’s being lighter. She had an expressionless look on her face, standing straight up as if she feared she’d be scolded if she slouched even a little bit. The male, the chubbiest of the family, had a friendly smile on his face and was a complete contrast to the rest of his family. Archie decided he liked this guy the most. 

Then there was the tallest of the children, and obviously the oldest. His future husband, Maxie. He was wearing a suit similar to his father’s though it had tails that curved up at the ends slightly. It hugged his thin, lean body, but also made him seem much older than he actually was. His skin was pale, like the rest of his family, though his was dotted with numerous freckles. His cheeks were drawn in, and his nose was pointed at the end. Glasses framed his scarlet eyes, matching the colour of his shoulder length hair, pushed to the side and curled at the ends. He stood as straight as his sister, shoulders in line with the rest of his body while his hands were behind his back. His brows furrowed in what seemed to be a scowl, and Archie’s heart dropped. While this man was oddly attractive, he didn’t seem to be a person that Archie would get along with. 

“Good afternoon Water clan, it’s a pleasure to see you,” the father said, bowing ever so slightly. The Water clan all bowed back, as was custom in their clans. “If you’d like to follow us, we will take you to the dining room where your meal will be served.” 

The Water clan followed after the father and mother of the Earth clan, while the siblings seemed to pair up together. At the end, Archie walked next to his husband to be. He gave a quick side glance to him, noticing his gaze was completely averted from him and he seemed intent on not looking his way at all. Archie didn’t know whether to be glad or annoyed at this. 

All he was sure of, was that this was going to be a long few hours.

~~~

Maxie did not want to admit to himself that the Water clan’s son was good looking. It was why he’d refused to even look at him when they ended up walking together, fearing he’d say what he was thinking. The man was very attractive, with thick muscles that, even though they were covered by his suit, were clearly visible. He forced himself not to stare at the bit of his chest, covered in dark hair, he’d left uncovered like he usually did. 

It was unfair. He was meant to detest this man, but he hadn’t expected him to be so good looking that he actually felt flustered! He didn’t want to begin to like the Water clan’s son, he couldn’t begin to like him. So he decided to stay silent and try to ignore the man to be his husband as much as he could possibly do. It was why he hadn’t said even a greeting to him as they entered the house, heading down a long corridor before passing through an open door on the right to enter a large dining room. He forced himself to keep his gaze away from this man even as they took their seats, with him obviously next to his fiance. 

“The name’s Archie,” came a slightly gruff but still young voice. Maxie’s eyes widened ever so slightly when he realised it was, of course, the man he was to marry. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. 

“I’m Maxie. Pleasure to meet you,” he replied, finally looking the man in the eye. They were a gentle blue, like the ocean itself, a complete contrast to his fiery red irises. He could see himself getting lost in them, but forced himself to look away before that could happen. 

“How old are you?” Archie asked, fiddling with the napkin they’d placed on the table. 

Maxie didn’t like answering this question and so averted his gaze back away from the Water clan’s firstborn. He knew he was ageing and that it was obvious, so telling people his age just felt like a harsh slap to his face. However, he knew that they needed to trust and understand one another. “Twenty nine, but I turn thirty this year.”

Maxie didn’t see the way Archie’s eyes widened in surprise but he could hear the shock in his voice. “You don’t look that old. I turn twenty five this year.”

Maxie finally looked at him, his expression as unreadable as it’d been since they were outside. He could see now that this man had still a lot to learn, and even with a five year difference he seemed much younger than he really was. 

He was about to comment before his mother stood up and made an announcement. He didn’t really listen to it, not wanting to give his mother that satisfaction after he was forced into this marriage because of her. It was obvious Maxie was still bitter about this marriage. The only part he listened to was what they were serving for lunch, an Earth clan speciality of lamb pie with homegrown vegetables and herbed potatoes. Maxie nodded at this, as it was a good dish to show to the Water clan. 

“You know I’ve never had lamb before…” Archie commented, making Maxie turn to look in obvious shock. 

“Never in your life?” Maxie asked, unable to believe this.

“Nope. We usually live on seafood caught around the sea of Mossdeep. We grow our own vegetables of course, and the rest we import from Lillycove and sometimes even Slateport,” Archie explained, his voice light and oddly charming.

“I can’t help but feel sorry for you, lamb is extremely tasty and would suit a person like yourself,” Maxie commented, his eyes trailing to the large muscles of his arms and chest. He couldn’t help but wonder how much work he’d have to have done just to get that muscular. 

Archie chuckled and nodded with a soft smile that showed ever so slightly pointed teeth. He’s like a Sharpedo… Maxie thought with amusement just as servants brought in their lunch and filled their glasses with red wine.

The lunch itself went on quite well, with only the adults really talking. However the Water clan’s children would sometimes speak to one another, making some odd comments that made the others chuckle. Well all but Maxie anyway. He found their little bits of banter quite dull, and would definitely not give Archie the satisfaction of laughing at any snide comment he decided to make about whatever topic they were on. Archie wasn’t like he thought he would be, that much was true, but he was still a Water clan member and Maxie still disliked them. 

That only came apparent later on when they ended up going onto the more serious topic of water pollution around the main cities like Slateport. A topic that Maxie couldn’t care less about, even if he tried. However, Maxie still had a bad habit of speaking his thoughts aloud and this wasn’t an exception. 

“You know, if there was more land for people to inhabit we wouldn’t have this mess.”

That made Archie turn to him, a cold look in his normally amiable features. “You what?” he asked, making Maxie scoff. 

“You heard me, there should be more land for the humans.”

“So we’re now suddenly more important than the animals and Pokemon that lived here long before us?” Archie responded, obviously getting angry. The rest of the table fell into an awkward silence, concerned about what would happen next.  
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s nice to know you understand me,” Maxie mocked, knowing he was going to regret this when the Water clan had left. He just didn’t care at that moment.

“What the hell? What would that even fucking do?” Archie spat, eyes now dark with the anger he was obviously feeling. If Archie got worked up so easily, Maxie might actually enjoy this forced marriage.

“Simple, it would mean that humans had more land to work on and would help aid science. That would, in turn, help us figure out how to be more conservative with our rubbish and energy. In the long run, it would be beneficial to the world,” Maxie replied.

“You’d be killing the creatures that live in the ocean!” Archie repeated.

“So?” Maxie asked, and that seemed to be the last straw. Archie stood up, grabbing the front of Maxie’s suit and dragging him up with him. He pulled him close, snarling at the Earth clan’s firstborn, ignoring the cries of his family to stop. Despite the close proximity, and the hatred that was on Archie’s face, Maxie kept a cool demeanour. He wouldn’t let this brute sway him. 

“I knew I couldn’t trust you. You seemed to be a good guy but no, I was foolish to think that someone like you could actually have any decency in you,” he spat, pushing him away before storming out of the room. All Maxie could do was ignore the glare from his mother as he sat back down. 

~~~ 

Once out of the Earth clan’s house, the first thing Archie did was kick the Groudon statue, ignoring the pain in his foot. He hated this clan, but most of all he hated Maxie. Their son was stuck up, arrogant, and worst of all he knew exactly how to push all the right buttons just to annoy him. Yet the horrifying part was that there was something alluring about him that interested the Water clan’s firstborn. He wanted to get to know Maxie, wanted to figure out what it was that made him tick. 

“I’m never going to fall in love with that bastard…” he growled to himself, walking back and forth to try and calm himself down. When he heard the front door opened, he instantly grabbed the Pokeball, ready to call out Sharpedo if he had to. However it wasn’t Maxie there, it was his younger brother Tabitha. He smiled softly, though Archie couldn’t help but shudder. Something about him seemed odd. 

Slowly the younger boy sat down at the stone steps, patting the space next to him as he took out a silver case. Archie walked over, sitting next to him and looking at the case as he opened it to revealing six cigarettes. He frowned slightly, not one to really care for smoking, before Tabitha offered him one. 

“I don’t smoke,” Archie refused, just staring at the cigarette. 

“You’re worked up and these will help calm you down,” Tabitha responded, pushing the cigarette into his hand with a force he didn’t expect the boy to have. 

Reluctantly, the Water clan member placed the cigarette in his mouth, allowing Tabitha to light it up with a similar silver lighter. He breathed in, the acrid smell filling his mouth and nose so much so that he gagged and ended up coughing. Tabitha simply chuckled, puffing on the smoke as if he was born to do that. It took a few tries before Archie actually managed to get used to the taste of it all, and by then his anger has dwelled down to comfortable levels. 

When he was done, he stubbed the cigarette out on the steps, not caring about how the tobacco stained the stone. The smell of burning tobacco was being slowly wafted away by the cool breeze, but he knew it’d linger on his suit, something which made him cringe slightly. 

“My brother is a bit of a dick, I admit that,” Tabitha broke the silence, his voice nonchalant. “But he means well.”

Archie just rolled his eyes, not wanting a talk on how good Maxie was. He’d shown his true colours back there, and it was obvious he was exactly how Archie had imagined him to be like.

“You’re just saying that because he’s family,” Archie muttered after a few seconds of silence. 

Tabitha chuckled again, nodding slowly. “Yes I guess I am. However, I do believe my brother has some decency within him. It’s just a lot of work to get it to show.” 

“You sound oddly proud at that,” Archie commented, turning his head to look at the Earth clan member. 

“It’s a trait we all have, my dearest brother in law,” came his response, the last part laced with sarcasm. “We’re arrogant and won’t take no for an answer, no matter how well you beg and plead.”

“You’re my worst nightmare,” Archie huffed, not even bothering to be sarcastic about that. This made Tabitha burst into laughter, and before long Archie was joining in too. Maybe he would never learn to properly love Maxie, but he knew he could definitely begin to like Tabitha. 

They spent a while out on the steps, not even bothering to talk to one another. They just watched the scenery, not that there was much to watch, relishing in a moment’s peace and quiet. Before long, the rest of his family ended up opening the door, just as the carriage they’d arrived in came around from the stables. Archie could see Maxie with his back to the door, glad he wouldn’t have to see his face as he said goodbye. Tabitha extended his hand out and Archie was more than willing to shake it, grinning at him happily. 

It wasn’t long before they were back on their way home, with Shelly telling Archie about how cute their youngest child, Courtney, was. Archie just nodded, mind drifting off to the wedding that was to happen next week. A feeling of dread soon followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late update to this fic! I've been so busy with college and it's left me drained of any energy to continue this, but I somehow managed. Excuse the shoddy writing, it's not my best chapter and most of it is dialogue really. Liberties were taking with the layout of Hoenn, so it's not 100% accurate either.


End file.
